Needs for Future Planetary Work

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Discussion Needs for Future Planetary
Work Working Group Bruce Cantor Fred
Calef Stephen Cumming Casey
Donohue Shane Thompson Patrick Whelley
Christina Stanzal Chris Ashburn Nathan
Drake
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• HISTORY of MARTIAN
  DUST DEVILS
• 1976-1978 - Dust devils were first detected by
  the Viking Lander 1 and 2 onboard
  meteorological experiments. Ryan and Lucich,
  1983
• This was followed by visual detection of large
  dust devils by the two Viking Orbiters, during
  northern summer. Thomas and Gierasch, 1985
• Dust Devil Tracks observed in Viking Orbiter
  Images Grant and Schultz, 1987
• 1997- Mars Pathfinder detects dust devils with
  the meteorological (MET) package.
• Schoefield et al., 1997, and later
  Renno et al, 2000
• Visual detection of dust devils at Pathfinder
  site were made with Imager for Mars Pathfinder
  (IMP) experiment. Metzger et al., 1999, 2000.
• DDs peak activity is 1300 LST Murphy and
  Nelli, 2002
• 1999 - Mars Global Surveyor were detected in MOC
  images. Malin and Edgett, 2001.
• Additional studies have found more dust devils
  and tracks. Biener et al., 2002 Cantor and
  Edgett, 2002 Balme et al, 2003 Greeley et al,
  2003 Leovy, 2003 Fisher et al., 2005 Whelley,
  workshop Drake, workshop Cantor et al.,
  workshop, 2005 in preparation
• 2001 Mars Odyssey - Observed dd and streaks in
  THEMIS VIS and later IR observations. Others
  Cushing et al, workshop, 2005 in press
• 2003- Mars Express - High Resolution Stereo Color
  (HRSC) imager. Stanzel et al., workshop
• 2003 - Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Spirit
  observed dd and streaks in Gusev. Greeley et
  al., 2003, 2005 Castano, workshop
  Foley,workshop
• -DDs peak around 1100 LST, observations suggest
  small ones play no role in sustaining background
  haze. Thompson,workshop

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Work That Needs to Be Done (1 of 2)

• What is the true spatial and temporal
  distribution of dust devils across all of Mars?
• What is their size distribution?
• What are the meterological conditions associated
  with dust devils?
• What are the wind speeds (rotational and
  vertical) and temperature profiles associated
  with martian dust devils?
• What are the surface wind stresses needed to lift
  dust?
• What is the size distribution of of dust being
  lifted?
• How high is the dust being lifted?

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Work That Needs to Be Done (2 of 2)

• Engineering data of surface missions need to be
  at looked?
• What is the difference between light and dark
  tone streaks? What are their seasonal and spatial
  distribution?
• What is the role of (small and large) dust devils
  in sustaining the background opacity?
• What are the magnet/electrostatic field
  properties of martian dust devils?
• Determine the hazards of dust devils to surface
  and manned missions?

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Future Platform Instruments (1 of 2)

• How can MRO, Phoenix, MSL, (MSR?) be used to help
  address any of the outstanding questions or not?
  Is there a case for MGS, ODY, MER extension
  because of these needs?
• - Yes, need to understand the hazards of landers
  and future manned missions, the climate, and
  weather on Mars. They can help quantify the
  spatial and temporal distribution of dust devils
  at select locations and globally.
• How important are these needs in the big scheme
  of Mars meteorology and climate?
• - They play some role in sustaining the
  background opacity. Need to find out what the
  magnitude of that role is.

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Future Platform Instruments (2 of 2)

• What are our future instrument needs based on the
  biases in the MGS, ODY, and MEX, Pathfinder and
  MER data sets?
• - Multi-spectral visual thermal imagers,
  lidar, magnatometer, repeat coverage, higher
  altitude wind speed measurements,
  multi-simultaneous meteorological measurements
  temperature, pressure, pressure, wind shear
  stresses at the surface, just above the surface
  and slight higher, sample return, MORE
  meteorological ground stations! Possibly even a
  mini-wind tunnel on the surface of Mars.
• What kind of payload platforms are needed?
• - Balloons, airplanes, rovers, orbiters,
  landers, micro-machines, ect